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Happy New Year from the Financial Aid Podcast

December 31st, 2006 - No Comments

Happy New Year!

Now go file your FAFSA!
+ FAFSA form online filing at FAFSAonline.com

Reminders
+ Private student loans available at any time - visit AlternativeStudentLoan.com
+ Stafford federal student loans at StaffordLoan.com
+ Student loan consolidation at StudentLoanConsolidator.com
+ FAFSA form online filing at FAFSAonline.com
+ Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com.
+ The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com, visit http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com, or call 877-328-1565 x531 or 206-350-1208. AIM: FinAidPodcast Add me to your iTunes by visiting http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com/itunes/

Direct MP3 file download: MP3 file

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New media discussions on the cusp of 2007

December 31st, 2006 - 1 Comment

This was a funny moment. Financial Aid Podcast listener Leah Lage and I were sitting in Crayonville’s diner, talking about new media. A funny conversation ensued.

(more…)

Blog Tag 2006 Year in Review

December 30th, 2006 - No Comments

Jeff Pulver and Chris Brogan ask: Review 2006.

1. Most Useful application
2. Best Web site
3. Worst Web site
4. Hottest Trend
5. Favorite Gadget

1. Garageband and iTunes. Making a good quality podcast has never been easier.

2. Google Reader. With over 400 different feeds in one interface, picking the pieces of the news I want is easy.

3. It’s a tie. MySpace and Digg. Infested with spyware, malware, and general idiocy, MySpace’s only redeeming value is its gigantic user community. Digg proves once and for all that the wisdom of the crowds is overrated - as is its civility.

4. Social networks. They were hot in 2005, and downright incendiary in 2006, with MySpace cracking 100M user profiles and virtually every other site adding “social features”.

5. iPod 5G with the Bose QC3 headphones. The QC3s can cancel out most background noise and be comfortable; the iPod 5G really picked up steam as more tools for managing video content became available, from video podcasts to iSquint. With iSquint, I can cram up to 150 DVDs onto a 60 GB iPod 5G.

I tag Bryan Person, CC Chapman, Natalie Gelman, Natalie Brown, and Jon Rudy.

FAP436: FAFSA, FAFSA, FAFSA, stolen broccoli, Stanford funds, USC scholarship, Eileen Meyer

December 29th, 2006 - No Comments

Student Financial Aid News
+ Crickets!
+ In a move that is attracting praise, Stanford University announced this month that it is starting a new program in which every faculty member in the humanities — pre- or post-tenure — will receive $5,000 a year to spend on any research-related need. Faculty members will be able to use the funds for travel to scholarly conferences or archives, to hire research assistants for bibliographic work, or for any related reason.
+ A Congressional aide has been fired after contacting two people authorities say he believed could break into the Texas Christian University computer system and change his grades, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.
+ Someone got way more than the recommended daily serving of vegetables when a refrigerated trailer loaded with $50,000 worth of broccoli was stolen. The 48-foot trailer disappeared from its rented parking space in the Chicago suburb of Villa Park sometime between Sunday and Tuesday morning, police said.

Scholarship Update
+ On a whim, looking for a broccoli scholarship
+ USC School of Cinema and Television Scholarships
+ Unique to USC
+ Includes the Dana and Albert Broccoli Endowed Scholarship
+ Details at our free scholarship search site

Focus on Financial Aid
+ FAFSA filing - yes, it’s free
+ FAFSA forms - even if you make over $100,000 per year, your financial situation may be such that filing a FAFSA makes sense
+ What’s this PIN business?
+ How do I get my funding?
+ When do I get a check?
+ College Goal Sunday if you need help
+ I’ll be at Massachusetts College Goal Sunday

Podsafe Music
+ Eileen Meyer, Angel Falls
+ Music via the Podsafe Music Network
+ Stop by our MySpace page!

Reminders
+ Private student loans available at any time - visit AlternativeStudentLoan.com
+ Stafford federal student loans at StaffordLoan.com
+ Student loan consolidation at StudentLoanConsolidator.com
+ FAFSA form online filing at FAFSAonline.com
+ Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com.
+ The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com, visit http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com, or call 877-328-1565 x529 or 206-350-1208. AIM: FinAidPodcast Add me to your iTunes by visiting http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com/itunes/

Direct MP3 file download: MP3 file

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FAP435: Who is an independent student on the FAFSA, recalcitrant parents, 2005 IPEDS statistics, genderblind housing, Iona

December 28th, 2006 - No Comments

Student Financial Aid News
+ Boy is it quiet out there!
+ Nearly 2.3 million students received degrees from four-year colleges and about 557,000 earned degrees from community colleges in the 2004-5 academic year, according to a report released yesterday by the U.S. Education Department.
+ The report, “Postsecondary Institutions in the United States: Fall 2005 and Degrees and Other Awards Conferred: 2004-05,� provides a first look at the latest data on college costs and degree attainment that the Education Department has collected through the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. The system, commonly known as Ipeds, compiles information from reports that colleges that receive federal funds are required to file.
+ According to the report, in the 2005-6 academic year the average tuition and fees charged were: $16,888 for students at private four-year colleges, $13,894 at for-profit colleges, and $2,514 at community colleges. Out-of-state students at public four-year colleges paid an average of $12,652, while in-state students paid an average of $5,206.
+ Meanwhile, according to the report, the overall average price of attendance for undergraduates living on a campus was the highest at for-profit colleges, at $28,250. That was about 2 percent more than the $27,754 that students at private four-year colleges were charged, on average. Out-of-state students at public four-year colleges paid an average price of $22,791, while in-state students paid an average of $15,114.
+ Not surprisingly, community colleges offered the lowest price of attendance over all in 2005-6: $6,200 for students living off campus.
+ Need financial aid to cover the cost of attendance?
+ Federal student loans at StaffordLoan.com
+ Private student loans at AlternativeStudentLoan.com
+ The National Student Genderblind Campaign — a new, student-run organization dedicated to sharing resources for students seeking on-campus “gender-neutral� housing options – counts about two dozen institutions with a mixed-gender rooming alternative already in place, and many more actively discussing the option. Students often push for these policies not so Jack and Jill can tumble around, but to provide a housing alternative that some gay, lesbian and transgender students may be more comfortable with.

Scholarship Update
+ A nice directory of scholarships for women and non-traditional students, returning students
+ Fairly large awards, like Datatel’s 5+ year gap award
+ 50 scholarships of $1,500 each
+ Details at our free scholarship search site

Focus on Financial Aid
+ More FAFSA stuff
+ FAFSA: What to do with non-responsive parents
+ FAFSA: Who is independent?

Podsafe Music
+ Iona, Ocean
+ Music via the Podsafe Music Network
+ Stop by our MySpace page!

Reminders
+ Private student loans available at any time - visit AlternativeStudentLoan.com
+ Stafford federal student loans at StaffordLoan.com
+ Student loan consolidation at StudentLoanConsolidator.com
+ FAFSA form online filing at FAFSAonline.com
+ Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com.
+ The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com, visit http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com, or call 877-328-1565 x529 or 206-350-1208. AIM: FinAidPodcast Add me to your iTunes by visiting http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com/itunes/

Direct MP3 file download: MP3 file

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I came home to…

December 28th, 2006 - 2 Comments

… FiOS. Goodbye cable modem. Hello fiber optic internet connection and 20 Mbps downstream.

I downloaded Rocketboom HD tonight. Couldn’t watch it - the PowerPC G4 can’t keep up with 1080i. But it downloaded in 34 seconds.

Jeff Pulver and Chris Brogan - the future is astonishingly fast. 5 Mbps upstream means I can upload video in a reasonable amount of time. Video on the Net just got a whole lot more practical at my house.

Downside… I don’t want to go to work tomorrow. Nothing against SLN, but a 3 Mbps DSL line is downright pokey by comparison.

FAP434: FAFSA stuff, Tribute to Robert T. Stafford, First Generation Grants, Mario Ajero

December 27th, 2006 - No Comments

Student Financial Aid News
+ Robert T. Stafford, the long-serving Republican senator from Vermont who played such a major role in shaping the guaranteed-student-loan program that his Senate colleagues named the program for him, died December 23 at the age of 93.
+ A Republican, Stafford served two years as governor, 11 years in the House and 17 in the Senate before retiring in 1988.
+ He also dedicated himself to education from his perch on the Senate Subcommittee on Education, Arts and the Humanities. Congress saluted his dedication in 1988, renaming the Federal Guaranteed Student Loan program the Robert T. Stafford Student Loan program.
+ The low-interest loans to students are now known almost universally as “Stafford loans” to the millions who qualify for them each year. According to the federal Education Department, about 14 million Stafford loans were given to postsecondary students in 2006.
+ Also passing away recently, James Brown and Gerald Ford
+ FAFSA filing season is only 5 days away!
+ I got accepted for College Goal Sunday - meet me in at Framingham High School in Framingham, MA!
+ Thomas M. Menino, the mayor of Boston, is so frustrated with the performance of community colleges that serve the city that he is exploring plans to have the institutions report to the city rather than the state, The Boston Globe reported. Officials of Bunker Hill and Roxbury Community Colleges indicated that they are willing to consider the mayor’s ideas. Menino has criticized the colleges low graduation rates (not even 15 percent) and called for them to offer more programs that would train people for jobs in the financial services and life sciences industries.

Scholarship Update
+ The Florida First Generation Matching Grant Program (FGMG) provides need-based grants to undergraduate students who are enrolled in state universities and whose parents have not earned baccalaureate degrees. Available state funds are contingent upon matching contributions from private sources on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
+ Meet Florida’s residency requirements for receipt of state student financial aid by maintaining Florida residency for purposes other than education for a minimum of 12 consecutive months prior to the first day of class of the academic term for which funds are requested.
+ Not owe a repayment under any state or federal grant or scholarship program unless satisfactory arrangements to repay have been made.
+ Not be in default on any federal Title IV or state student loan program unless satisfactory arrangements to repay have been made.
+ Not have previously received a baccalaureate degree.
+ Be a first generation college student. A student is considered “first generation” if neither of the student’s parents earned a college degree at the baccalaureate level or higher. A student would also be eligible if he/she regularly resided with and received support from only one parent who did not earn a baccalaureate degree.
+ Be accepted at a state university.
+ Enroll for a minimum of 6 credit hours per term as a degree-seeking undergraduate student.
+ Meet additional eligibility requirements as established by the postsecondary institution.
+ Apply by filing your FAFSA before the state’s deadline, May 15, 2007
+ Details at our free scholarship web site

Focus on Financial Aid
+ FAFSA deadlines at FAFSAonline.com
+ FAFSA - getting your documents together
+ FAFSA - it’s too hard
+ We do NOT charge money for the FAFSA
+ Filing your FAFSA on time - the postal service is your enemy
+ Always, always, always print out your results

Podsafe Music
+ Mario Ajero, Auld Lang Syne
+ If you’re a podsafe musician who can crank out solos of any kind, holiday music is an EASY win - there are only 2 versions of Auld Lang Syne on the PMN!
+ Music via the Podsafe Music Network
+ Stop by our MySpace page!

Reminders
+ Private student loans available at any time - visit AlternativeStudentLoan.com
+ Stafford federal student loans at StaffordLoan.com
+ Student loan consolidation at StudentLoanConsolidator.com
+ FAFSA form online filing at FAFSAonline.com
+ Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com.
+ The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com, visit http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com, or call 877-328-1565 x529 or 206-350-1208. AIM: FinAidPodcast Add me to your iTunes by visiting http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com/itunes/

Direct MP3 file download: MP3 file

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FAP433: 2006 Year In Review - Top Stories on the Financial Aid Podcast

December 26th, 2006 - No Comments

A special episode of the Financial Aid Podcast talking about the top stories of 2006.

10. Housing bubble burst

9. Democratic election of Congress
+ Explosion of private student loans

8. Graduate PLUS loan program created

7. MyRichUncle came out swinging against traditional FFELP practices

6. No more credit cards to pay tuition

5. Federal reserve levels off rates after 2 1/2 years of interest rate increases

4. Investigation of Sallie Mae and other major lenders

3. Explosion of scams regarding scholarships, loans, etc.

2. Identity theft rockets upward

1. Major program changes
+ End of the two step student loan consolidation
+ End of single lender rule
+ Stafford and PLUS loans become fixed rate loans
+ July 1 rate increase
+ Elimination of reconsolidation and spousal consolidation

Predictions for 2007
+ Tuition will go up
+ Loan and grant aid won’t
+ Private student loans
+ Private student loan consolidation
+ Housing bubble causes more widespread economic effects

Reminders
+ Private student loans available at any time - visit AlternativeStudentLoan.com
+ Stafford federal student loans at StaffordLoan.com
+ Student loan consolidation at StudentLoanConsolidator.com
+ FAFSA form online filing at FAFSAonline.com
+ Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com.
+ The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com, visit http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com, or call 877-328-1565 x529 or 206-350-1208. AIM: FinAidPodcast Add me to your iTunes by visiting http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com/itunes/

Direct MP3 file download: MP3 file

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Preparing to reboot

December 26th, 2006 - No Comments

The great reboot is coming. On January 1, 2007, at midnight, I will execute the following:

  • Select All in GMail. Archive.
  • Select All feeds in Reader. Mark as read.
  • Select all unread in Mail.app. Move to read.
  • Clear browser histories.
  • Archive all bookmarks and reload.

Starting off a new year means getting rid of old stuff, good or bad. Sometimes you’ll reinvent the wheel, true. But occasionally the new wheel will have some subtle enhancement you never thought useful before.

What are you doing on Monday?

p.s. If you have something that needs my attention, be SURE to re-bring it to my attention after Monday.

FAP432: Student Loan Radio : Christmas Day Special

December 25th, 2006 - No Comments

May as well call this the Doug Boldt show!

Podsafe Music
+ Silent Night
+ Hark the Herald Angels Sing
+ O Holy Night

+ Act Education Loans Promo

+ Deck the Halls
+ What Child Is This
+ I Saw Three Ships

+ FAFSA filing reminder

+ All by piano virtuoso Doug Boldt

+ Music via the Podsafe Music Network
+ Stop by our MySpace page!

Reminders
+ Private student loans available at any time - visit AlternativeStudentLoan.com
+ Stafford federal student loans at StaffordLoan.com
+ Student loan consolidation at StudentLoanConsolidator.com
+ FAFSA form online filing at FAFSAonline.com
+ Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com.
+ The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com, visit http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com, or call 877-328-1565 x529 or 206-350-1208. AIM: FinAidPodcast Add me to your iTunes by visiting http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com/itunes/

Direct MP3 file download: MP3 file

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